Salaam - Big Tech and Big Oil to Meet at Abu Dhabi Energy Conference
As-salaam alaykum - Big Tech will be appearing alongside major oil firms at this year’s Abu Dhabi energy conference as AI grows in the energy sector. Senior leaders from long-standing oil companies such as BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies, and state firms like Adnoc, will continue to headline the event. Microsoft’s president Brad Smith is set to speak on the opening day. Microsoft has been expanding in the region and has signed large deals with the UAE, including a $1.5 billion pledge last year to Abu Dhabi AI firm G42.
Microsoft is also working in the UAE energy space via a 2024 agreement with Adnoc and Masdar on projects around carbon capture, hydrogen and ammonia. AI’s role in the regional energy industry is growing - a recent Microsoft-Adnoc report notes roughly one in five energy companies now use agentic AI that can make autonomous decisions.
About 88% of executives surveyed said AI is having a positive impact on energy and their businesses, calling the relationship almost “symbiotic.” Beyond AI, the four-day conference from November 3–6 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre will focus on the future of energy, sustainability and geopolitics.
Gulf energy ministers from the UAE and Qatar will open the discussions on Monday, joined by counterparts from countries including Egypt and the US delegation led by Energy Dominance Council chairman Doug Burgum. Other US officials attending include Deputy Energy Secretary James Danly and Amos Hochstein, who now serves as managing partner at TWG Global.
The conference will also include ministers from largely oil-importing Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon and Jordan - Beirut hopes to revive its delayed offshore licensing programme, stalled by political issues and the fallout from the Gaza conflict.
Major oil industry players that regularly attend - like PetroChina, Petronas and India’s ONGC - will be on the agenda, and Indian refiners affected by US sanctions on some Russian firms will also be present. The event comes amid continued volatility in oil markets driven by regional tensions and announced US tariffs.
Opec+ meets on Sunday and is expected to raise output by about 137,000 barrels per day in December as part of a plan to ease production cuts.
May Allah grant wisdom to leaders and guide efforts toward responsible, sustainable energy choices. Wishing everyone safe travel and beneficial discussions.
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